Four things to know about the 2026 girls volleyball state championships

Four matches Saturday at Grand Casino Arena will determine this year’s champions.

The Details

The Minnesota high school volleyball tournament championship games for all four classes take place Saturday at Grand Casino Arena.

Here are four things you need to know about the teams in the finals.

Lakeville South and Marshall were the two best teams in the state regardless of class last year as they won Class 4A and 3A crowns. Not surprisingly, they’re back to defend their titles Saturday night.

The Cougars are facing No. 2 seed Eagan going for a three-peat, which hasn’t happened since Wayzata won four straight from 2019-23.

The second-seeded Tigers are vying for their fifth title in the past six years under coach Dan Westby, but they’re actually the underdog vs. Class 5A top seed Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The Red Knights beat Marshall earlier this year, but Marshall lasted four sets.

Three teams were seeking to repeat as state champions entering Wednesday, but two-time defending Class 1A champion Mayer Lutheran was upset by No. 6 seed Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in the quarterfinals. The two teams met in last year’s semifinals with the opposite result.

State champion player and coach

Eagan’s McKenna Melville was on top of the high school volleyball world a decade ago.

In 2017,

Melville was the Star Tribune All-Metro Player of the Year, but her team glory also came in the form of back-to-back Class 3A titles in 2015 and 2016. She reached the state tournament in all four years of her career, finishing runner-up in 2014 and 2017.

Three years ago, Melville replaced her mother, Kathy Gillen-Melville, as Wildcats coach. Her mother was inducted into the MSHSL Hall of Fame this year with seven state titles and 16 state tournament trips in her career, including seven straight from 2013-19.

The younger Melville will get a chance to win her first title as a head coach Saturday, but her mother is close by on the Eagan bench as an assistant coach.